Steelers Now
One Pittsburgh Steelers running back is beginning to emerge as the team’s lead back.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still trying to establish who their lead running back is since Najee Harris left to join the Los Angeles Chargers in free agency this offseason. Luckily, one of their running backs has begun to emerge as the favorite.
Jaylen Warren was one of the Steelers’ few bright spots on offense during their Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, leading the team with 48 rushing yards and 86 receiving yards.
That has caused many to believe he should be the team’s lead back, and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith isn’t opposed to the idea if he continues playing like he did last week.
“Certainly, if the guy earns that,” Smith said when asked if Warren will receive more opportunities. “You’ve got to do whatever you’ve got to do to win the game too, but you also think about the totality of the season. We can’t ask anybody to run the ball 500 times. Maybe there’s somebody that can do it. I certainly haven’t seen it. That all goes into it.”
Pittsburgh’s other two options at running back are veteran Kenneth Gainwell and third-round rookie Kaleb Johnson.
However, Johnson seems to be in the dog house after his kickoff return mishap in Week 2 and Gainwell hasn’t come close to having the same production as Warren, rushing for just 39 yards on 12 carries (3.3 yards per carry) over the past two weeks.
Smith still has plenty of faith in Gainwell continuing to serve a key role in the offense, though.
“We’ve got faith in both those guys,” Smith added. “Certainly, the guy gets hot, you don’t want to take the ball out of his hands.”
That may be frustrating to hear for a player like Warren, who has been waiting the past three years to be the Steelers’ lead back.
However, the fourth-year running back is happy with his current role.
“They’re gonna call a number any time and run fresh legs,” Warren said. “I don’t feel no type of way when any of the other running backs go in. … We feed off of each other, so I’m glad it’s the way it is.”
Only time will tell if Warren will earn more opportunities, but if he continues playing the way he has, it will be difficult to take him off the field.
An undrafted free agent in 2022, Warren has rushed for 1,759 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and six touchdowns in his NFL career. He also has 133 receptions for 1,002 yards and one score.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Arthur Smith Open to Increased Role For Steelers RB
